2018 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey Report

2018 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey Report

The FYTS is a school based survey that is administered January through February every year. This survey tracks indicators of tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke among Florida public middle and high school students in all 67 Florida counties. Schools and classrooms are randomly selected and survey responses are anonymous. Each county in Florida is included in the survey. There are additional surveys that are conducted and reported on youth risk behaviors, health behaviors and substance abuse. To learn more about these surveys, visitYouth Risk Behavior Survey,Middle School Health Behavior Survey, andFlorida Youth Substance Abuse Survey .

The questionnaire handed out to middle and high school students is voluntary and the answers given are private. The students are asked to answer the questions based on what they really do and know, such as, cigarette use, electronic vapor products, smokeless tobacco, thoughts about and exposure to tobacco. A sample of the 2017 questionnaire can be found atFlorida Youth Survey Questionnaire 2017. The data is then collected for monitoring and evaluating tobacco use among youth. This type of data gives the Florida Department of Health information that will help them develop appropriate educational and prevention programs to lower rates of tobacco use among youth in the state of Florida. Below is a graph showing a few statistics from the survey that was conducted in 2017. Of the 12 counties that Suwannee River AHEC serves, 11 of those counties were surveyed and reported. For the full report, visit2018 FYTS County Reports.

The 2018 Florida Youth Substance Abuse survey report has also been released from the Florida Department of Children and Families. This report is based on the “Communities That Care” survey which assesses risk and protective factors for substance abuse, in addition to substance abuse prevalence. The survey is administered in the spring of each even year since it began in the 1999-2000 school year. It is administered with the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey. For the results of this survey, visit2018 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey.

Contact Information

Suwannee River Area Health Education Center (AHEC) is a diverse, resourceful public health nonprofit located in Alachua, Florida. Our professional staff members seek to assist individuals who have basic health needs, as well as train health professionals and students to better serve their patients.